Chapter 186

Ella

I was still trying to process everything that had happened as Logan drove us back to his mansion in silence.

The night sky had darkened, and the desert landscape was a vast expanse of shadows and quiet. It should have been peaceful, but my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions—and I couldn’t help but wonder how I had ended up here, in this surreal situation.

One thing was for certain, though: I was a bloody fool for not trusting Logan earlier. I couldn’t believe that I thought he was actually going to kill me, and my wolf certainly would never let me live that one down.

“I told you,” she said with a slight chuckle that rumbled in the back of my mind. “Logan can be trusted. And see? Now you don’t have anything to worry about.”

I almost sighed out loud as I nestled down further into the passenger seat. We had already parked his car back at the garage and were now sitting in the red car.

“I do have to worry still,” I said, somewhat annoyed. “Don’t be naive, Ema.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ema replied. “Maybe I am naive. But you should feel safe now, Ella. He cares about you. It’ll all work out in the end.”

As my wolf spoke, I glanced over at Logan. His jaw was set hard as he drove, giving him an even more manly and rugged appearance in the dim light of the car. Maybe I was safe with him. Maybe I had always been safe, and I was just too stubborn to realize that.

Before I knew it, Logan’s mansion was coming into view. The warm lights glowed from within, giving it a welcoming feeling when I needed it the most. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief as we pulled through the enormous metal gates that were only opened by a security guard who nodded at Logan as we drove past.

As we pulled into the driveway, Logan put the car in park and pulled the keys out of the ignition. I opened my mouth to say something, but then he shot me a look and glanced at my phone on the center console as if to warn me not to say anything. I nodded slowly, and we climbed out, coming around to meet in front of the car.

And then he kissed me.

His lips were warm and soft, and before I could even react, he looped his arm around my waist and pulled me up against his body. The feeling made my limbs go weak, and without meaning to, I found myself leaning into him for support.

But this wasn’t a kiss for romance. It was a kiss for practicality; and in a strange way, it broke my heart just a little.

“I have a burner phone for you,” he said using our Mindlink. “It’ll be sitting on your bed when I take you to your room. I want you to use it whenever you need to talk to me privately, but don’t stop using your usual phone. Understood?”

“How... how long have you known?” I asked, surprised that he already had all of this set up for me.

“I’ve had my suspicions for weeks now,” he admitted. “Ever since you gave me those pictures, I realized something was wrong. I just needed to confirm it, and tonight you did.”

I felt a pang of guilt. Logan had been in the dark, thinking I was trying to gather evidence against him for my own nefarious reasons. I hadn’t considered how my actions would affect him, and it weighed heavily on my conscience.

Once he was finished speaking using our Mindlink, Logan went to pull away. But I stopped him, although I wasn’t sure if it was because I wanted the kiss to continue for longer or if I had a genuine question.

“Wait!” I exclaimed, grabbing his jacket to pull him closer. “What about Miles? Is he okay? After…”

“Miles is fine,” he assured me. “I made sure nothing happened to him. In fact, I arranged for him to take a paid vacation, so it looks like I actually fired him.”

Relief washed over me. I had been worried about Miles ever since Marina had forced me to frame him as a part of her scheme. Knowing that he was safe was a huge relief.

“I’ve been playing dumb all this time,” Logan continued, his tone somber. “I didn’t want Marina to catch on to what we were planning. I needed to keep you close to protect you.”

“But what about Daisy?” I asked, my inner voice filled with concern. “Won’t she be in more danger if it seems like we’re getting closer?”

Logan gave me a reassuring smile. “I’ll continue to play dumb,” he said. “Marina needs to believe that her plan is working.”

I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude toward Logan. He was risking everything to protect my sister and me, even if it meant putting himself in harm’s way.

Without another word, Logan finally broke the kiss. We lingered closer for a few long moments, our breaths mingling in the chilly night air. His warm arms wrapped around my waist felt like the only thing holding me down to earth, and at that moment, I wanted nothing more than to stay here with him.

“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice choked with emotion. “Thank you for everything.”

Logan pulled back slightly and looked into my eyes. “It’s what I’m here for,” he whispered, his voice so low I could barely even make out his words. “You don’t need to thank me.”

With that, Logan finally pulled away. His face was all business as he turned and gestured for me to follow him inside, but Ema didn’t seem to believe him.

“He enjoyed that kiss,” she said as I followed him. “Don’t let him fool you.”

I didn’t respond. I followed Logan inside, then up the grand staircase and down the hall to the same room I had stayed the last time I was visiting.

“I’ve prepared a room for you,” Logan said as we approached the door. “Same room as before. The bathroom is all yours, too.”

As he spoke, he pushed open the large door to reveal the room. There it was; the box with the burner phone sitting on the bed. I took in a deep breath as I entered and looked around. The room was nice, but it was big and felt empty, nothing at all like my cozy little apartment.

“Oh, and I arranged for some clothes for you,” he said, gesturing to several shopping bags sitting by the wardrobe. “Don’t feel bad if there’s anything you don’t like.”

I was a bit taken aback and didn’t know what to say. This was all so much, and I still didn’t know what was safe to say out loud or not.

“So, um… Goodnight,” Logan said, turning to leave. “Once the… ‘roach’ problem is handled in your apartment, you can leave if you want. Or you can stay. It’s up to you.”

With that, Logan turned back to the door and began to leave. But my hand shot out and grabbed his wrist without even meaning to.

I hesitated for a moment before I spoke, my voice uncertain. “Logan, this room is too big and… empty,” I managed.

He shot me a confused look and furrowed his brow. “I have some smaller rooms if you want to move—”

But I shook my head, cutting him off. “No, um… Would you—possibly—consider maybe… staying with me? At least for tonight?”